HC Deb 06 July 1904 vol 137 cc806-7
MR. GIBSON BOWLES

I beg to ask the First Lord of the Treasury whether the Government has received any information this morning with reference to the operations in Tibet.

MR. A. J. BALFOUR

Perhaps my hon. friend will put down a Question to my right hon. friend the Secretary of State for India, who is not now in his place.

SIR H. CAMPBELL-BANNERMAN (Stirling Burghs)

But is there not important news to-day which the House should have?

MR. A. J. BALFOUR

I think the right hon. Gentleman will agree with me that to ask me, without notice, at five minutes to 3 o'clock, and in the absence of my right hon. friend the Secretary of State for India, to give the House an account of events in Tibet, is a bit unreasonable. If I had had the smallest notice that such a Question was going to be asked I should have brought down the necessary documents.

SIR H. CAMPBELL-BANNERMAN

I thought it was not unusual, except in matters involving complicated negotiations, to ask a Question without notice on incidents occurring from day to day.

MR. A. J. BALFOUR

I did not bring down the telegram, but if I had been told, even ten minutes ago, that a Question was going to be asked, I would have sent for it. But it so happens that a right hon. friend of mine has got it, and I see no reason why I should not read it to the House. But of course I could not be expected to bring it down, and I think that to repeat from memory a telegram of such a character would be setting a very evil precedent. The telegram is as follows— Young husband reports that to-day he sent two messengers to Tibetans that signal gun would be fired at 12 o'clock, and that if fort was not surrendered firing would commence at 12.30. The delegates—Tongsa Penlop and Ta Lama—women and children were warned to leave fort. No notice was taken by Tibetans there, and at 12.38 firing on the fort commenced.